Countdown
by Spring Zephyr
Summary: A thirty(one) day countdown of GreySkyShipping stories/drabbles to the English release date of Pokemon Black/White 2. Updated with English names.
1. Day Thirty: Luck

**(All Notes in this series will be at the ends of the stories/drabbles.)**

"Wait up, Hugh!" Nate called after him, grabbing Hugh's attention before he got too far ahead. "Just for a second, okay?"

Hugh turned around and waited patiently for Nate to continue, even though he was feeling anything but patient at the moment. Luckily, Nate was equally anxious and at his side in a matter of seconds, running to catch up with Hugh even though he was still holding his new Tepig in his arms. Nate had insisted on leaving her out of her Pokeball for a while, despite all instruction not to.

Without explanation, Nate grinned and lifted Tepig until the Pokemon was eye level to Hugh. "For luck."

Tepig touched noses briefly with Hugh while Nate watched happily. The second it was over, Hugh was already wiping Tepig snot off his nose with the back of his hand and pretending to be annoyed. In turn, Nate pretended not to notice and continued beaming.

"See? A kiss, for good luck on your Pokemon adventure!"

The frankness in Nate's voice made a light blush spread across Hugh's face. They were hardly three steps into their Pokemon journey and Kyouhei was already embarrassing him...

"D-don't pull those kinds of stunts," Hugh grumbled, doing his very best to pretend that he hadn't found it endearing on top of being annoyed.

It was kind of cute.

Once they got away from town, where not everybody could see them, maybe Hugh would have to show him how to do it right.

**EDIT 14 October:**

**AUTHOR'S NOTES: I made a mistake while counting days, and so the countdown ended up with thirty-one days instead of just thirty to ensure it would still end on 6 October as planned. To the Europeans reading this... Well, it should no longer matter that I used the American release date, because by Black and White 2 are available in both countries.  
**

**All the drabbles/stories relate to Pokemon in some way, although some of them might be only briefly. **

**...I could have written prompts concerning Black and White 2 in general, but there are already people expecting me to "go down with this ship". It's more or less expected by this point that if I write Pokemon, it will be GreySkyShipping, right?**

**_The English names have been officially edited in for every chapter._  
**

**(This will also be the longest you'll ever see the author's comments get in this series)**


	2. Day Twenty Nine: Notes

Even though Hugh was the one who had asked him out first, Nate was still surprised by what a thoughtful, romantic person he tried to be. Nate wasn't even sure whether the other boy succeeded or not, but Hugh caught a Pidove – known among Pokemon for being faithful and devout letter carriers – specifically to send love notes back and forth. It would have felt over-protective and obsessive if it were anything more than that, but Hugh had made it clear to Nate on the beginning of their journey that he believed Nate could handle himself on his own, for which Nate in turn had been very grateful. Hugh didn't stop acting like a mother hen for no reason, after all. He wouldn't say something like that unless he actually believed it.

Still, Nate wondered every time he saw that Pidove if love notes were always supposed to feel this way, and if the mix of early embarrassment and anticipation right before he opened another note was normal. They were awkward to read, and Hugh's handwriting rapidly became messier the further along he went, leaving Nate to wonder if Hugh felt the same way while writing them as he did while reading them. Like he wouldn't want anyone else looking over his shoulder...

If so, there must have been a reason Hugh kept writing - because as embarrassing as it was, Nate always felt indescribably warm after reading one, and that was his reason to continue reading.

By no means was Nate a writer, so he often had nothing to send in return. There would never be any fluttery, contradicting feelings every time he saw that Pidove returning for Hugh. Nate might have felt guilty about that, if he weren't thinking of ways to make up for that the next time he and Hugh met up every step of the way.


	3. Day Twenty Eight: Munna

"It's pink and it has flower patterns," Nate noted. He turned to Hugh and smiled. "Your little sister would probably love this Pokemon."

"Probably," Hugh agreed.

The information on the screen of Hugh's Pokedex stated that the tiny, peaceful looking creature was called "Munna", and that it was the unevolved form of Bianca's prized Pokemon. While not as competent as Musharna, the Pokemon that some claimed could turn dreams into reality, it was widely regarded as the Pokemon of restful slumber.

"So did you want to try catching one? I'd be happy to help you out!"

Hugh watched the little Munna float about for several seconds longer before the words sunk in; Kyouhei's and the ones he'd read from the Pokedex. It didn't take much thought to come to his decision.

"N-not really," Hugh muttered. Nate was behind him, but he pulled the collar of his jacket up to hide his reddened face more self-consciously anyway.

He wasn't exactly sure what being a Pokemon of dreams entailed, but he was hoping for as many sleepless nights as possible as long as Nate insisted on camping with him...

**After reading this a few times, I realized the ending could be interpreted more than one way. I was implying that Hugh didn't want to end up dreaming about Nate _because of reasons_, but you're free to think of a different meaning.**


	4. Day Twenty Seven: Ghosting

"You smell nice," Nate murmured sleepily.

The movement of his lips ghosted along the back of Hugh's neck, making the tiny, fine hairs prickle and causing an itch Hugh couldn't reach back to scratch without disturbing Nate. And Nate sounded quite comfortable, so Hugh wasn't particularly interested in disturbing him.

Not intentionally, anyway.

There was a reason Hugh preferred they didn't sleep in the same bed, despite their limited funds and the additional cost of hiring a two person room at the nearest hotel. Even Pokemon Centers didn't allow trainers to stay completely for free, when they were intending to stay overnight - after all, Pokemon Centers were created to assist recovering Pokemon, not travel-weary people.

With Nate sleeping this close to him and his chest pressed against Hugh's back while his arms circled Hugh's middle, it was almost inevitable that Hugh would end up waking Nate on accident sooner or later, for some reason or another.

Until then, Hugh would try to deal with the way Nate's breath hit his skin in warm, soft little puffs as the boy drifted off, snoring.

**1. A lot of these ended up being about sleep because that's what I write about when I'm tired.**

**2. Pokemon Centers are usually free, except when they're from my world because that's just too convenient and I can't comprehend.**


	5. Day Twenty Six: Freezing

"That," Hugh growled at him, pulling off his own jacket, "Was a really dumb idea."

Kyouhei's water-logged clothes had already been replaced, right down to the wetsuit he wore underneath his outer clothing. Even though it had saved him from the worst of the water's icy temperature, the nurses had demanded it come off until it could be dried with everything else.

"Y-y-yeah?" Kyouhei grumbled back. "W-w-w-well, h-h-"

His attempts to retaliate were cut off short as Hugh, apparently a mind reader, interrupted him, "Kyouhei, half the continent is frozen over. This area is basically a chunk of ice. Samurott can hardly tolerate this temperature, what made you think it was a good idea for you to go swimming?"

"U-um, t-there was t-this Pokemon in the water..." Kyouhei started. His lips were starting to unthaw in the warmth of the Pokemon Center, but still felt numb enough that he was uncertain how well Hugh could understand him. "I-I..."

Hugh put his jacket around Kyouhei's shoulders and sighed, looking more exasperated than annoyed. "Maybe that will speed things up... I can't stand to look at you shivering like that any longer, it's pathetic. I should rage at _you_, Kyouhei, for what you just did."

That was Hugh speak for saying he'd been worried.

**This could easily be friendship instead of relationship. However, I like this one as is, so I'm not going to change it.**

**...Hugh's heated rage shall bring warmth to Kyouhei once more.**


	6. Day Twenty Five: Picky

"Y'know..." Nate started, watching Hugh smooth the folds on his bedspread until he had them _just right_, "I don't remember you being this... picky... about your stuff before, and it's not like you've got parents here to nag you or anything."

Personally, Nate just didn't see the point with no parents here to nag him. He was more than likely going to use that sleeping bag again when night fell anyway.

"If you don't take proper care of your camping equipment, you're going to regret it in the long run," Hugh replied curtly, folding the blanket over one last time.

Then he sat back to inspect his work. Once Hugh decided that he was satisfied with the way his blanket was folded and that it was free of wrinkles, he carefully put it inside his backpack and began brushing the dirt and leaves from his sleeping bag meticulously.

"Whatever you say, man," Nate replied.

Nate was in the process of folding up his camping equipment too, but doing a much lazier job with it. A few leaves didn't bother him any, as long as he could force everything he needed back into his bag. Granted, it was getting harder and harder to accomplish with every day that passed, but...

Hugh rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to help you out later, Nate."

"We'll see about that."

The end of that day concluded with another camping trip just as Nate had predicted, giving their Pokemon a chance to rest during the night. It was Nate who had finally pointed out he wasn't sure they'd be able to make it to the next Pokemon Center before it got dark, and Hugh simply couldn't argue with him – that boy would push himself as hard as he possibly could, but never his Pokemon.

Dinner was left in Nate's care, and ended up being cooked over a simple fire made by Tepig. Hugh spent his time clearing away a place to sleep, organizing the boys's items, and picking up brush and twigs to make sure the fire kept going throughout the night. A steady fire in the middle of the forest kept away _most_ forest-dwelling Pokemon. Oshawott and Tepig slept outside of their Pokeballs on the nights they spent camping in case of an emergency.

There wasn't much else to do besides chat about Pokemon – and know that they were both on their own Pokemon adventures, the topic was a lot more exciting than it had been when they were just playing pretend and asking each other "what it". The two of them had always been crazy about Pokemon.

However, being real Pokemon trainers was also a lot more exhausting than playing pretend had been, and after a rigorous day of training and traveling Hugh tired out shortly after dinner. Their chatter slowed down gradually at first, then Nate began to notice how frequently Hugh started yawning and gently suggested they stop for the night and get some rest.

Now that he was fed and there was a steady fire going to keep them warm, Hugh wasn't about to argue with that suggestion. He agreed mutely and began rolling out his sleeping bag, then unfolding the blanket his mother had packed for him – and a good thing too, because the nights were only getting colder – and laid it on top of the bag before crawling inside. He didn't bother checking to see if Nate were doing the same, because it seemed obvious that he would.

Turned away from the fire, Hugh was just beginning to find a semi-comfortable position to sleep in where the bumpy earth wasn't jabbing him in the ribs or his spine too badly when he felt a body flopping next to him, far too large to be one of his current Pokemon. There starters hadn't even evolved once yet, they were hardly in the big Pokemon league yet.

"Nate..." he growled.

The boy began worming his way under the covers, finding a satisfactory position faster than Hugh had and looping his arms around the other boy's waist. "Go to sleep, Hugh," he replied cheerfully, nuzzling the back of Hugh's head.

"Nate!"

Tepig and Oshawott, who were just beginning to drift off into a wary slumber, suddenly jumped awake at the sound of yelling. For a moment, they even looked concerned before realizing it was only another petty argument between their trainers, and started making themselves comfortable again.

"I'm just doing what you said earlier," Nate informed him.

"What I said was-"

"And if you're not satisfied with the way I take care of my own stuff, I'll just have to settle for using yours."

Considering the arms around Hugh's waist only tightened, he doubted Nate was planning on letting him go any time soon.

"Besides, I know you don't mind," Nate finished.

And curse the boy for being right.

**Before editing I had, "I don't you mind" written somewhere. This, friends, is why editing is important.**

**...I've been writing/posting these to reduce the impatience for this game's English release, but I have no idea if it's working or not.**

**14 October, 2012: Now I'm going on an editing spree to input the English names. "Nate" is already starting to sound very weird inside my head.  
**


	7. Day Twenty Four: Galvantula

"I think it's cute."

"I think you're crazy," Hugh grumbled back.

There was no way he was going to admit that Galvantula was cute. Not even Nate giving him the puppy eyes, which worked for almost everything else, was going to get him near that... thing.

Hugh had almost been able to tolerate it as a Joltik, but evolving had made it gigantic. He wasn't a fan of spiders to begin with, let alone ones that were nearly as large as he and Nate were, and Hugh wondered not for the first time why Nate had bothered catching that thing in the first place.

"Aw, come on... You're hurting her feelings!"

"You're not convincing me to-"

"I'll give you a kiss," Nate declared suddenly.

"You... Y-you'll what!?" Hugh coughed, attempting to regain his composure after his face had turned bright red and ultimately failing in the end. The cheesy, know-it-all grin Nate was giving him helped none.

But it was obvious now that not only was Nate was attempting to bribe him, in a way that Hugh had never imagined, the boy also had a good idea of _why_ Hugh didn't want to go near his Pokemon. Hugh wasn't sure which realization shocked him more.

"I... H-how do you find out about these things?"

It wasn't exactly something that Hugh would write down – like, _'dear diary, have I ever mentioned I'm afraid of spiders? By the way, I'm also crushing on my best friend, hope that's not a problem.' _Hugh had been telling himself what he had was just a stupid crush, and that he would eventually get over it... for about the past three years.

He didn't have an excuse for the thing about spiders though. That was just something that had happened all of a sudden.

Nate's stupid smile widened. It became stupid whenever it started to irritate Hugh, even though he stilled loved it.

"You just implied I was right," Nate replied, and Hugh cursed. "And," the brown-haired boy continued, drawing out the word cheerfully, "Your little sister..."

"_She_ did!?"

"...May or may not have said something about it before we left. In case the opportunity arose. You know."

"My..."

"Along with the whole 'fear of spiders' thing, though she probably didn't suspect I would ever take advantage of it like this."

Hugh's thinking slowed to a crawl, as he tried to process this information. He was embarrassed that his sister would just tell somebody these things, and Hugh felt even worse about it because he was blaming her when he was more at fault than she was. After all, if he hadn't told her in the first place...

Nate waited patiently for about half a minute as Hugh attempted to form the words for his next sentence, petting Galvantula lazily. But in the end, Nate wasn't a very patient person and he didn't have several minutes to wait until Hugh finally ended up resolving the situation by running away. Deciding to come up with his own resolution, Nate spoke up, "Hugh, just pet the damn spider already. I kind of wanted to kiss you too."

**I can't actually see Hugh being afraid of spiders. I wrote this because Bug types are my favorites. Basically, I needed an entire drabble dedicated to that fact.**


	8. Day Twenty Three: Clockwork

Hugh didn't like to admit it so he never did, but Nate knew him better than anyone else. Better than his own family, even. The boy was predictable, a bit like clockword - because Nate knew what would happen when they met up every time even long before it happened.

They battled, sometimes they worked together. Occasionally Hugh lectured him or gave him a present to help out on his journey. Nate usually didn't have much to give in return, and Hugh swore he didn't mind, which Nate found easy enough to believe. Hugh was more of a giver, fitting of someone with such a protective nature.

After that, Nate would somehow manage talking him into sticking around for a few hours. Normally, this consisted of training or wandering the streets of whichever town they were presently visiting. Sometimes they held hands while walking. Near the end, or when Hugh was sure no one was looking, Nate sometimes received some quality time cuddling with him and a brief kiss or two, most often on the cheek and sweet but not absurdly romantic. On rare occasions, they didn't need to wait before Nate got his kiss.

In the end, it was virtually undeniable that Hugh was like clockwork, constantly going through the same predictable pattern over and over again without ceasing, and Nate had learned to deal with it. He wouldn't push Hugh into doing anything he was uncomfortable with, even though he sometimes found Hugh's demands a little absurd. They didn't share drinks, for example, and if it had been anyone other than Hugh, the germophobe and neat freak, Nate might have found it offensive that someone was really that worried he might pass on a cold or something.

But sometimes even a clock could jam, or break, or the power might go out, and it was always unexpected but, no matter what caused it, the pattern would be thrown off, if just for a little while.

They spent the evening in Nimbasa, and rode the Ferris Wheel together. Hugh hadn't objected to any obscene amount of hand holding or cuddling inside the Ferris Wheel's passenger car. When Nate decided to cling to his arm after the ride had ended and they'd both stepped out of the car, Hugh surprised him again by letting him. Then Hugh purchased cotton candy with the little money he had left over and they'd walked around until nightfall, admiring the bright lights and liveliness of Nimbasa City in a way they never had before.

It hadn't been much, but now that they were tucked in bed and Nate was able spend the night being held by his boyfriend, he decided that he very much liked when the clock stopped working.

**When I wrote this, I intended for them to just sleep together. As in, not doing anything other than legitimately sleeping. But it's vague on purpose; everyone can think whatever they want.**


	9. Day Twenty Two: Sketch

Burgh was a surprisingly easy person to talk to, once you got to know him. Otherwise, Hugh had no idea why he would stick around the Castelia City gym so often - he wasn't an artist, nor was he particularly keen on studying Bug Type Pokemon.

There were, however, moments when even a laid-back and friendly person like Burgh could become unexpectedly difficult.

"Am I right?" Burgh questioned, holding a sketch to his face. "You like this person, don't you? This is it?"

Right now, he sounded a lot like Hugh's sister did when she was begging someone to buy her candy – enthusiastically pleading, mind focused only on that one thing.

Except the result of this was much worse than having to deal with his little sister on a sugar rush.

Hugh nearly fell off his seat, turning scarlet. If he'd known this was going to happen, he would have been more suspicious about letting Burgh lead him into this conversation about romantics and the people who interested him.

"Oh, so I am right!" Burgh cheered, looking particularly pleased with himself. "You can have this if you like," he continued, tearing the sheet out from his sketchbook. "I'm sure the two of you will make a lovely couple. You should confess already, before it gets to be too late."

Burgh was one-hundred percent certain he'd made the correct guess, and any attempts Hugh made to deny that Burgh was right were doomed to immediate failure. The boy knew his strengths and weaknesses, and lying while he was emotional wasn't one of them. Lying in general was something he was terrible at.

So instead of lying, Hugh decided to ask after something more conventional.

"H-How did you...?" he frowned. "You've met Nathan before? Isn't it a little weird that-"

"The boy really sticks out," Burgh explained, before Hugh could finish. "And I'm an artist. I never forget a face."

He sounded quite pleased with himself. Hugh found it a little creepy, until he took a closer look at the picture and noticed a few subtle differences from the real life subject. Nate's hair was a little longer than what Burgh had drawn him with, his smile was a little less wide, and his eyes weren't quite that narrow. The colors on his wetsuit were mixed up, with the collar being light and the main body of the suit black. However, for a drawing from memory, it wasn't bad.

"...He does," Hugh reluctantly mumbled in agreement. He folded the drawing in two and stuck it in his pocket, something to look at for later. Hopefully Nate wouldn't find out about it too quickly and get mad about it. "Thanks."

"I'm not quite done with you yet," Burgh grinned coyly and leaned forward. "I said you should confess, and – what do you know? – I happen to have expertise in that area as well, you precious lovesick Lillipup."

**...For some reason, I keep making excuses to remind everyone how much I love Bug type Pokemon. Or, in this case, anyone who uses Bug type Pokemon.**

**How did I do writing Burgh...? I don't think I did very well.**


	10. Day Twenty One: Holding Hands

The sound of giggling only gave Hugh a split second warning before Nate tackled him, wrapping his arms around his waist and nearly knocking him over all at once. He almost might have been knocked over for real if Nate weren't - thankfully! - strong enough to keep them both standing.

Nate giggled obnoxiously in Hugh's ear for a moment, then began yelling before Hugh could snap at him - or grumble sardonically that he was almost as heavy as a Snorlax, "Come on, Valerie, help me out here!"

Hugh attempted to struggle out of Nate's iron grip. If it were only Nate, Hugh would have eventually managed to wrestle away from him, but his little sister attached herself to his leg in an instant after Nate called for her and he was forced to resign. Feeling pleased with himself over the victory, Nate snuggled into Hugh's neck and grinned. Valerie did the same holding onto Hugh's leg, and muttered about how much she loved her older brother.

"Guys, this is really embarrassing."

"But we looooove you!" Nate exclaimed, louder than necessary.

To emphasize his point, he tightened his grip on Hugh. Valerie chimed in her agreement happily.

"Th-that's great and all, but... I need to breathe!"

If one tactic wouldn't work, Hugh could always try another.

"Huh? Oh." Nate let go, took a step back, then grinned back sheepishly at Hugh. "Sorry 'bout that. I guess we sort of... forgot?"

"Sorry 'bout that," Valerie repeated. She took a glance at Nate, then moved next to him and imitated the face he was making toward her older brother.

Lately, they were getting along a little too well, but she enjoyed Nate's company too much for Hugh to scold either of them for it. As wonderful as it was that they got along, sometimes the two of them together was overwhelming.

"But it's only because we love you!" Nate assured him.

"Because we love you!"

They looked about ready to jump him again. Hugh immediately darted backwards and held his hands up in protest.

"No, no, no! I got it the first time, once is more than enou-"

At least the second time, Nate took care not to crush his ribs. Valerie reattached herself to his leg, because she wasn't tall enough to reach much higher than that yet.

There was a kid across the street from them watching, a little slack-jawed, and Hugh cast an annoyed glance in his direction. After all, it was completely normal for teenage boys to be randomly hugged by their boyfriends and little sisters in the middle of town for no apparent reason at all, wasn't it?

...He honestly couldn't blame the kid for looking shocked.

"Next time," Hugh sighed, "could we at least stick with holding hands instead of making a scene?"

And underneath his breath, he was muttering, "It's lucky I think the both of you are so cute..."

**Since whining about her lack of official name hasn't gotten me anywhere yet, I've updated my fan name for Hugh's little sister with a better one that makes more sense and fits in better with the rest of the universe. **

**Hugh - Hue**

**Valerie - Value**

**...Now all I need is a "Saturation".**


	11. Day Twenty: Trained

"Fuzzy Rufflet," Nate cooed, running a hand through Hugh's hair.

"Stop it."

"I love your head."

"Nate, I mean it."

Nate removed his hand from Hugh's hair and stared at him. He wasn't done teasing yet. "Such a grumpy Rufflet. Hugh-"

"Well, you're a Herdier!" Hugh shot back. He wasn't getting tired of this game, he swore - sometimes he was just snappish. For reasons.

Nate knew him too well.

"That," he replied in singsong, "doesn't bother me. But I know what bothers you!"

Hugh sighed, loudly. Pointedly.

Nothing would stop Nate once he decided he wanted something, however. "You know what you need to do!"

Hugh grabbed his arm and pulled him in for a quick kiss, reasonably embarrassed by the handful of people around them over giving in so easily. It was almost like Nate had him trained or something.

"Thank you very much, Hugh!"

Hugh should have been irritated by this.

However, the boy returned the favor with a kiss on the nose for Hugh planted with mock delicacy, and the bright smile on his face kept Hugh attracted.


	12. Day Nineteen: Violet

On the first day of their Pokemon journey, Nate met with Hugh as promised.

Just before they're about to leave, Hugh's younger sister pats down her pockets as if she's searching for something, goes wide-eyed, and then yells. She rushes forward to grab Nate's arm and commands him not to go yet, and all the while Hugh looks vaguely like he wants to protest but doesn't.

Even if Hugh doesn't, Nate is about to when she starts to walk and catches him off guard, making it possible for Valerie to pull him along after her, and she is surprisingly strong for someone her age.

"I forgot to give you something," she explains, running down the streets back to her house. Nate tries to explain to _her_ that he and Hugh are in a hurry, but she insists, "It will only take a second, and it's very important!"

Nate has no idea what's going on, and Hugh is following them, but whatever this "important" thing that the little girl has to show him is apparently not for Hugh also. That's surprising.

...Somehow, he gets the feeling Hugh actually knows what's coming next, if the tight-lipped look on his face is any indication.

Hugh's sister leads him inside the house, into the kitchen, and finally lets go of Nate by the kitchen table to pick up a folded piece of paper. She swipes it off the table and hands it to him, grinning and looking accomplished.

Since Nate knows he won't be allowed to leave until he looks at whatever is on this paper, he unfolds it, not sure what to expect.

As it turns out, he should have expected more.

Considering she's a five year old child, Hugh's sister is not a master artist. Still, it's a little awkward when Nate can clearly recognize the stick figure that's supposed to represent him, and another of Hugh, scribbled in violet-colored crayon and surrounded by a giant pink heart. Hugh is standing behind him and shifts nervously, slightly embarrassed, as Nate takes in the rest of the picture – on the outside of the heart, she's also drawn pictures of herself, everyone's parents, and a plethora of Pokemon related items, but the implications are clear.

Apparently, she knew and Hugh never told him.

"It's so you don't forget about us!" she explains cheerily. "And so you won't forget about Hugh, or be lonely, even when you're far apart! 'Cause Hugh said that might happen. He's usually right, and-"

She continues chattering while Nate joins Hugh in silent embarrassment.

But it's cute.

He's grateful for her gift, even if he can't find the words to say it right now.

**Is it obvious by now who my favorite character to use as a plot point is? Especially if you've read some of my other stories...**

**I like writing things with a childish feel to them, by the way.**

**EDIT: Fixed so much stuff that no one ever told me about...  
**


	13. Day Eighteen: Irresistible

"Why do you look so nervous?" Nate questioned absently.

Naturally, the crowds of people and the stuffy atmosphere wouldn't affect Nate any. They were nearly bumping shoulders against every person they walked past, and having to dodge the tiny Pokemon that scampered around their trainer's feet didn't bother him any; Nate could only look fascinated at the bright lights and the crowds or mildly confused at the things he didn't understand.

The same was not true for Hugh, who adamantly insisted their Pokemon stay inside their Pokeballs where they belonged, which may have been contributed in part to his irritation at the Sawk that had nearly knocked them over earlier.

"Only because there are about a hundred and fifty things that could go wrong..." Hugh's response to Nate's question was dry. He kept his eyes lowered in a continuous attempt to stand out less, as though choosing not to look at the people surrounding him would make them less likely to look at him in return.

Nate squeezed his hand, but what should have been comforting almost made Hugh jump instead.

"I hate crowds," Hugh reminded him, heavy emphasis on all three words. "How did you even talk me into this?"

The other boy was quick with his response, all the while grinning like a fool, "Because I'm adorable and charming and absolutely irresistible and- Ow, that hurts! What did you have to pinch me for!?"

"Because it was irresistible."

**...Only one hundred and fifty?**


	14. Day Seventeen: Equal Trade

Before they were official Pokemon trainers, the three of them – Hugh, Nathan, and Rosa – had collected cards. Not anything in particular, because cards with information on their favorite athletes were just as common as cards with the stats on Pokemon between the three of them. It was an interest that frequently used up all their weekly allowances in one go, and resulted in much debate over who should get which card and-

"Why won't you trade with me!?" Nate wailed stubbornly. He wasn't actually crying, but with the fit he was throwing on the floor of Hugh's room someone might have guessed his Lillipup had just died.

Hugh sighed. They were getting a little old for this, in his opinion – a little old for throwing tantrums, anyway. He wasn't as eager to admit it now that he was a year away from starting his real Pokemon journey, but he still loved the cards themselves. He kept buying them, after all, even after Rosa had claimed it was a silly waste of money and stopped.

"Because I _like_ this card," Hugh informed him. "You can't have it."

"Then what _will_ you trade for it?" Nate demanded to know, as if Hugh had implied he had an interest in trading his card at all.

It took Nate more than thirty minutes to find the answer to his question, a trade offer that Hugh hadn't known he'd be entirely willing to make until Nate suggested it. But the end result was that Hugh didn't mind giving up that card after all, if it meant his first kiss in return.

**...This is cute? I want a longer version of this. (Hehe, lazy Zephyr. I'd have to write it myself, wouldn't I?)**


	15. Day Sixteen: Flat

"Hugh, have you ever had a dream where you weren't wearing anything? Like, ever had an awkward dream where you're in the middle of public and not wearing anything?"

"No, I can't say I haven't," Hugh answered.

First, he wondered why Nate – looking peaceful and relaxed laying in the grass, watching his Pokemon and Hugh's chase each other – was asking him this all of a sudden. After another moment of thought, he decided he didn't want to know.

Nate was going to tell him anyway, of course. He knew his friend better than that, to assume he could get away without hearing about it.

"I have," Nate continued absent-mindedly, like Hugh knew he would.

Just knowing that he was going to say it didn't mean Hugh had any idea how to respond to that though, and so he replied with a simple, "Oh."

After that, both boys lapsed back into silence for a few minutes until Nate finally spoke up again and unexpectedly announced, "By the way, I take back everything I said about your ass being flat. You actually have a really nice butt, at least in my dream."

Being that it was Nate he was talking to, Hugh was lost as to whether this was some kind of tactless come on or if Nate was stupidly wondering aloud again, but either way he turned red.

"...Maybe someday you'll just have to find out for real," Hugh muttered.

"Huh?" Nate sat up and stared at him. "What did you say? I missed that."

"Never mind."

**...I think this was started by a friend, and I sort of went with it? I actually don't remember how this came about...**

**Happy "halfway there" day!**


	16. Day Fifteen: Intrusion

Hugh's little sister didn't seem to understand when she was ruining a moment. Doors were left closed for a reason, after all, and that reason wasn't so the younger siblings of people's boyfriends could run in and interrupt something. With "something" being a heated match in the years outdated 'Pokemon Stadium' and the "interrupting" being more of their stupid, silly, back and forth mushy talk than the actual gameplay.

It wasn't important.

But Nate found himself getting mildly annoyed over the inclusion of Hugh's sister regardless.

She did this every time they spent the day at Hugh's house, and half the time while they were just walking around the streets in Aspertia City. Hugh, being the doting older brother that he was, always let her in on what they were doing without complaint. After all, if it really mattered to him, he would have started locking his bedroom door instead...

Nate was reluctant to admit it, but he may have actually been jealous of his boyfriend's barely elementary age sister. He tended to go relatively ignored as long as she was around, distracting Hugh and demanding his attention.

He would never talk to Hugh about it though. It would only upset Hugh if he did, so Nate bore with it and waited for the next time.

**...Shouldn't relationships be about compromise?**


	17. Day Fourteen: Magazine

"According to Rosa's stupid girly magazine..." Nate began, "...Apparently they kiss in the same way they battle?"

He looked to Hugh for an opinion, but the only opinion Hugh had to offer was a dry remark of, "For a 'stupid magazine', I think you're way too into this."

"I-it's not my fault!" Nate stammered in denial. "It's just the only thing Mei happens to keep on her shelf, and I was bored, it's better than doing nothing, okay?"

"But you've been calling it 'stupid' from the instant you picked it up. Frequently and quite loudly, by the way. Sounds just a little bit too much like denial..." Hugh was bored too, but not bored enough that he was willing to pick a fight, so he quickly changed the subject. "What's that supposed to mean anyway? You said, 'they', but you never explained who 'they' was."

Rosa would probably be back soon – it had already been forty minutes since she left, and Hugh had no idea what kind of chores she had to do that would take so long, but surely by now she was almost finished with them? Being caught reading her magazine would be embarrassing for both of them, but apparently Nate hadn't thought it out that far because his eyes immediately darted back to the page, searching for Hugh's answer.

"Uh... that battling is an accurate representation of what kind of boyfriend a trainer may make?"

"So someone who is reckless in battle would also be reckless in romance?"

"That's what it says..."

There was a pause as Hugh thought this over.

This whole conversation was awkward enough anyway. And if Rosa happened to walk through the door in the next minute or so, well, she'd made them wait long enough. It's not like she didn't know they were boyfriends or anything. She probably deserved this.

"Want to find out if that's true?" Hugh asked, voicing a reckless idea of his own.

**Hugh assumes she'd be shocked.**

**...Haha. That's funny.**

**(My GreySky-related headcanon of Mei "that girl who would be supportive of her friends' relationships regardless of who they date" more than a "yaoi fangirl" type.)**


	18. Day Thirteen: Worried

"You know, you could stop calling me every five minutes."

That was a bit of an exaggeration, and Hugh knew it. Still, when the days were beginning to go by so fast that they began to blend together and Hugh felt like he was so close to his goal that he wouldn't have stopped even to rest, if it weren't necessary and if his Pokemon didn't need it so badly, even having to answer the X-Transceiver once in a while started becoming a nuisance. It was his own fault for telling Nate he could call any time though, and for losing patience with him - the tiny flicker of hurt that flash across Nate's face reminded him of that.

"Well, it's not like I worry about you or anything, you know," Nate replied, somewhat snappishly.

Snappish didn't work well for Nate. It never had.

Within a matter of seconds, it was already wearing off and he began to look disappointed instead.

"If you're busy, then that's okay. Just... call me back later, okay?"

As his boyfriend, Nate did have a certain right to feel concerned if he wanted to. And Hugh, as Nate's boyfriend, had a certain obligation to let him. That guilty feeling was only getting worse.

If Nate wanted to talk, then he'd let him talk.

Even Hugh knew what it was like to worry, after all.


	19. Day Twelve: Going Home

"I don't think I'll ever get tired of all this traveling around," Nate sighed happily, laying back in the grass.

Nate had been walking nonstop for nearly the whole day, as well as all of yesterday and the day before that. His muscles ached when he woke up in the morning, and he was usually sore all over from sleeping on the hard ground almost every night, but he was happy. Tonight was his first long break from journeying and training in nearly a week, but the thing Nate had said was true – he didn't think he could ever get tired of this lifestyle.

Bonus points that he had Hugh with him. No matter how cynical or rash Hugh could get at times, Nate enjoyed his attention.

"What? You plan to keep going even after winning the Pokemon League Championship?"

Hugh had offered to do the cooking tonight, giving Nate a chance to rest even though he must have been just as tired - maybe even more so, since Hugh usually pushed himself harder than Nate did. All Nate usually worried about was training, after all, and Hugh was out to take on whatever was left of Team Plasma.

At first, Nate had tried insisting on helping, but Hugh was stubborn.

...At least they both knew the real reason wasn't because, "Your cooking tastes like Grimer slime, Nate" no matter how many times Hugh repeated it, because Hugh couldn't stop being sarcastic long enough to admit that Nate _had gotten better since that one incident._

Back on topic, Nate sat up to better stare at Hugh. "Um, would that bother you?"

Hugh prodded the growing fire in silence for a few seconds, before quietly responding, "Well, I was kind of hoping... You know. There'd still be... us..." The farther along he went, the softer his speech became, and Nate knew he must not have been very well accustomed to this kind of sentimentality.

"I thought you'd come with," Nate replied. It seemed like common sense - he and Hugh went everywhere together now. He had always sort of assumed Hugh would always be there at his side, especially now that they were dating and all.

"I wanted to get back home for a while," Hugh informed him. "I was hoping to get what I needed done and then return to my family."

There was a long silence between the two while Nate thought. Despite the saying 'distance makes the heart grow fonder' Nate had never had plans for a long distance relationship in mind, and he doubted Hugh and himself would grow fonder so much as they would grow apart if they both went their separate ways. Especially since Nate's current plans involved something like mimicking the Legendary Red – disappearing to live on a mountain and crushing all the weakling trainers that appeared before him, yeah, that would be cool and mysterious sounding.

Hugh would scold him for that, saying it was an unrealistic dream. He never meant to be so negative though; Nate understood that was just Hugh's weird way of saying he cared about him.

"...It might not be so bad to return home after all," Nate admitted slowly. He'd miss everything but the aching muscles and being kicked unable to pay for his food sometimes. But since he was too light-hearted to admit he might be giving up something he wanted for Hugh's sake, he jokingly added, "Besides, I'd miss having a personal maid. When you're around, I swear, I don't have do to the cooking or my own laundry or- ow!"

Hugh threw the unused soup ladle at his head, but he was grinning and Nate guessed it was all right as long as Hugh was happy. They could talk about the complicated stuff some time else, much later.

**What just happened here? Hugh is a crusher of dreams, that's what!**

**The transitioning thoughts here just seem too quick to be realistic, anyone have an opinion on that?**


	20. Day Eleven: Sleep

Nate has to laugh silently because... Well, because first of all Hugh is asleep, and waking him up now would probably be a bad idea. Second is because, even asleep, Hugh looks kind of annoyed, proving that one guy who claimed all people look like innocent, peaceful babies while they're asleep wrong.

They spent all day running all over Nimbasa City and back and forth to Castelia, so maybe it isn't exactly Hugh's fault if he falls asleep while scowling, because Nate was the one dragging them everywhere to go look at stuff. By the end of the day, even the random Sewaddle encounters had been starting to annoy Hugh, and those were harmless little things.

So a word of advice to any passing Pokemon while Hugh was, uh, raging: Run for cover even if there's a type resistance, because Samurott can be just as temperamental.

Despite that, and Hugh's less than appreciative glares at some of the jokes Nate made to try and lighten the mood afterward, they were still sharing a single bedroom together. Hugh might have insisted it was only because they didn't have money to waste buying separate rooms, but at this point Nate is sure he just didn't want to argue. The dark-haired boy had barely finished crawling under the covers and he was out, and that was nearly ten minutes ago.

Even though he's almost as tired as Hugh, Nate muses that there is an advantage to falling asleep second. It means being able to see his boyfriend like this, even in if it's in the dimmed lamplight. Makes him feel a bit like a creeper, to be honest. And he really should go to sleep soon, because he can only imagine Hugh's reaction if he were to wake up in the middle of the night for some reason and the first thing he saw was Nate staring at him.

Quietly and carefully, Nate moves the tips of his fingers to brush away the hair on Hugh's forehead and he presses his lips to the spot ever so softly, in a kiss. Then a second time, only moving his lips closer to the Hugh's mouth. Nate's lips barely touch against Hugh's, but Hugh almost seems to notice regardless and shifts slightly in his sleep before rolling over – thankfully in Nate's direction, because facing the lamp directly probably would have woken him up for sure. He has to reach over Hugh's body to turn that light off, but he realizes now is a good time to do so, before he really does wake Hugh up.

The hardest part is finding a way to shift that doesn't bump Hugh so much, now that he's moved closer together, but eventually Nate manages and is able to sink back into the mess of blankets. The effect of being surrounded by both the blanket's and Hugh's warmth really is quite pleasant. Nate spends his last couple minutes before falling asleep wishing every night could be like this one.

**Writing from Nate's perspective is weird. It's unorganized compared to how I write Hugh.**

**Technically, I could also blame insomnia.**


	21. Day Ten: Costume

The final touches of the costume involved painting red circles on his cheeks. Everyone's cheeks, actually – Hugh's little sister had insisted on picking their Halloween costumes this year, which included her own, her brother's, and Nate's. Rosa was at home this year, stuck handing out candy to kids, which oddly worked well for Hugh's little sister.

He had an idea why.

Valerie had been like this ever since discovering her brother and Nate were in a "relationship", to the point where she'd even started playing "gay wedding" with her dolls. Of course, she didn't know better, but it didn't make Hugh lament the day his parents found out about these games and questioned Hugh on what exactly he was teaching his baby sister any less.

It didn't make the games themselves any less awkward either, nor embarrassing. The joy of being five years old, Hugh assumed. He was suddenly very glad he'd been more into baseball and Pokemon than he had dolls at that age.

Hugh fell out of his reverie just in time to hear the end of his sister's explanation to Nate, "-so it'll be just like you two are the daddy Pikachus and I'm your little baby Pichu and together we're all going to get lots of candy!" and he wasn't in time to stop her from saying any of it, so he settled for turning red-faced and looking mortified instead.

Nate turned to him grinning, of course. Whereas Hugh was a relatively serious guy, his boyfriend found the humor in everything, including the things Hugh would rather he didn't.

_Especially_ the things Hugh would rather he didn't find funny.

"Jeez, it's a shame you couldn't have waited a few more seconds, Hugh!" he chuckled. "Turns out, you didn't even need the paint."

Nate anticipated that he would snap back and cut him off by swooping in for a quick peck that made Hugh's sister squeal with delight. It wasn't the most subtle way to prevent an argument, but Hugh gets the unspoken message in it: "No need to bicker in front of your sister, Hugh."

She really admired the two of them, didn't she?

...Really, someday his parents were going to kill him for this.

**This drabble was written for a friend.**


	22. Day Nine: Swimming

"If you're going into the water-" which at this point, it was obvious Nate was "-be sure to take Dewott with you for some exercise!" Hugh yelled. It was best to at least give Nate a warning before Hugh stuck his Pokemon in his charge.

Nate paused halfway through unzipping his jacket, and turned around to look at Hugh. He looked confused, if only a little bit, as if he were wondering why Hugh wasn't as eager to jump in the extremely cold water as he and Dewott were. "You don't want to take him yourself?"

"Um, not really. Swimming is more like your thing, and I'd rather not freeze my butt off right now. Besides, I don't have anything to change into – unlike you, not everyone wears a wetsuit under their clothing on a daily basis."

Hugh didn't even like using Surf. Even when he tried his hardest to remain dry, the water always ended up splashing, it always splashed on him, and it was almost always frigid, thanks to this area's usual climate. His clothes were thick and soaked up water like a sponge, making them heavy and difficult to move in. Getting them dry again always took forever.

"If you're sure..." Nate muttered.

He backtracked to take the Pokeball out of Hugh's hand, then continued shedding some clothing unnecessary for a quick dip in the lake.

"Very sure..." Hugh muttered in reply. Barely audible. He was certain no one but himself heard this. "I'd rather just watch."

Even if he had enjoyed freezing, Hugh would have preferred to stay on land. He had a much better angle for observation where he was currently standing than he would in the water.

**Writing weird things again.**

**It's weird because perverted Hugh is almost opposite of my headcanon. Yet shows up more than once in this drabble series.**


	23. Day Eight: Amusement

There was a reason Rosa loved talking to Hugh and Nate these days. More than usual, anyway. A person might think that the two of them dating might put a strain on their close friendship, which had always been a trio, but in reality the three of them were as close as ever. Even closer. No three friends in all of Unova could have possibly been closer.

Anything Bianca said to contradict those words was wrong, by the way.

Cheren was stuffy and Rosa had never even met Hilda, so who knew if they were actually as close as Bianca claimed they were?

Also, Rosa blatantly ignored anything that might make her sound like she was wrong.

But that was besides the point.

Even when they were all hanging out together and she had to put up with their stupid kissy faces and puppy eyes constantly, Rosa still managed to amuse herself, somehow. She never felt like the odd one out, and she wasn't even into that kind of thing – some of her female friends told her they envied her for all the live action boys' love she probably got to see when they found out.

Really. Rosa wasn't into that kind of thing.

She cared about these two dumb, lovesick boys in a non-creepy kind of way, because these were still her two best friends she was talking about. Thinking of them like that just sounded creepy, hence her usage of the word, although she _had_ been really surprised to find they ended up dating each other.

Again. Besides the point.

Rosa had soon realized that the two of them completed each other though, so that was alright! And this fact even ended up being her next greatest source of entertainment when she ended up hanging out with the two these days, _especially_ when they started with the puppy eyes! One usually picked up things the other didn't when they were together, which they otherwise normally would have missed. Such as:

Rosa: So, have the two of you slept together yet?

Nate: What do you mean? We go camping together all the time.

Hugh had responded the same way when she asked him that question the day before, while Rosa was still busy catching up to them again after falling behind in Nimbasa City. Today, he actually caught on to what Rosa was talking about and glared.

In situations like these, the best thing to do was laugh, comment on how cute they both were, and then quickly run ahead before Hugh could do anything about it, because she totally saw the way he was reaching for that Pokeball. Rosa didn't normally run from a battle though; when Hugh asked about that later, she would say she was giving them some 'alone time' and wink suggestively, and allow her fun to continue even longer.

Really, instead of pushing them apart, the fact that Nate and Hugh were dating just made things more amusing.


	24. Day Seven: Unintentional

Runinng into Hugh in the middle of the road – literally, running into Hugh – had been completely unintentional. Nate hadn't meant to knock them both to the ground either, and he certainly hadn't meant for Hugh to land so hard on the dirt (though, aside from from some groaning and a light curse, Hugh didn't appear to be hurt, which was good).

What Nate _had_ been intending to do was run away from a Pokemon battle he couldn't afford to lose, not in the condition his team was currently in.

But even with a bag full of injured Pokemon, something about their current position just felt naturally. At the very least, it wasn't unpleasant to suddenly find himself lying on top of Hugh, aside from the circumstances and all.

...Maybe they'd have to try it again later, sometime. Like when he was apologizing to Hugh for bowling him over and then immediately running off without an explanation, because right now, it was far more urgent to get to the nearest Pokemon Center.

**No anime-based romance is complete without a scene like this... Not too fond of the scenario personally. Actually writing one is just my weird way of making fun.**

**Also: Responsible Nate.  
**


	25. Day Six: Prize

Beating Unova's Elite Four was an accomplishment. Fighting against the toughest trainers in the region had been hard work and grueling, for both Nate and his team of select Pokemon. But he had eventually been victorious – he and his Pokemon were now the new champions of Unova.

Nate had been so excited to receive this title that it had seemed more like a dream than something that was actually happening. _He just couldn't believe it_. The pride he felt toward his Pokemon after was impossible to describe, and he felt accomplished in himself too; they were even more tired than he was, but looking at the faces of his Pokemon he could see they were happy too.

They'd come a long way.

Once the Elite Four were out of the way, Nate only had one challenge left that he'd promised himself he would overcome, without the help of his Pokemon: Finally confessing to Hugh, his best friend since they were just kids. After conquering all of Unova and fighting to be declared one of the best Pokemon trainers in the world, who would have thought that making one little confession would still end up being so tough? Nate had stuttered and blushed and generally stumbled through every word he tried to say until Hugh finally gave up and started making guesses to make things easier.

It had definitely been worth the embarrassment though.

In Nate's eyes, the biggest reward he received was not the money or the fame and respect that came from being Pokemon Champion, but the victory kiss he received from Hugh.

The kiss itself wasn't anything special – it was short and awkward, and evidently Hugh didn't know much about kisses yet – but it was the best reward for winning that Nate could have asked for. It meant Hugh liked him back. It meant everything Nate had been fighting for had a meaning. Where eight badges and his name written down in the Hall of Fame couldn't make him feel like a winner, this certainly did.

And at this rate, Nate didn't feel like he could starting losing any time soon.

**If these are starting to turn weird, it's because I think I'm coming down with something.**


	26. Day Five: Playing Games

Hugh's annoyed face was the first thing he saw when Nate answered his ringing X-transceiver.

Considering Nate had just walked through his front door after babysitting Hugh's sister, he was probably in trouble. For _something, _he just didn't know what. His brain scrambled to figure out what; meanwhile Nate's mouth started spewing out words to buy him time in case Hugh snapped. Hugh didn't usually snap, but Kyouhei worried about these things anyway.

"Why, hello there," he started out, as sing-songy as possible. "You look, um, lovely... today..."

With his plan to distract Hugh clearly failing, it was time to give up already. One of these days, Nate swore he would have to learn how not to cave in so quickly.

"Okay, okay, what did I do this time!? Because seriously, I know you're protective and all, but I can't think of a single-"

"Valerie would like for me to remind you to stop messing with her toys when she's not looking," Hugh informed him curtly.

"...Is that it? How did she know abou-" realizing he was about to actually admit to messing around with the girl's extensive collection of Pokemon dolls, Nate quickly changed the subject. "I mean, from the look on your face, I could have sworn I'd actually done something wrong."

He may have dropped a couple of those dolls. Or maybe they'd all fallen off the shelf after he'd accidentally picked up the wrong one. But Valerie had been napping on the couch at that time, and Nate had been very careful to put back all the dolls in the correct order... Although it was totally possible that he could have made a mistake...

Now Nate was the one frowning, because he didn't like it when people - Hugh in particular - refused to be straightforward with him and just tell him what was going on. When he looked back at the X-transceiver, he was even slightly offended to find that Hugh's annoyance had softened and changed form into an amused smirk, thanks to Nate's completely puzzled expression.

"Shut up, Hugh," he retorted maturely, even though Hugh had been completely silent while he'd spent the last several moments attempting to think. "Just tell me what I did already, because I don't know."

"I already told you."

"I put them back!"

"Um, seriously...?" Instead of just amused, Hugh actually looked like he was trying not to laugh now. "Yeah, well, anyway... apparently not all of them."

The instant Hugh moved the X-transceiver to focus on the fridge, Nate's memory came back to him. Too late. It was embarrassing to realize he'd forgotten to take down the fridge magnets he'd put up after reaching an almost overwhelming state of boredom; the ones that stupidly had both their names and an addition sign between them like every other ridiculously love sick teenager their age carved into trees and stuff. Except there was no way to make a giant heart with a series of magnets that only came in the form of numbers and letters, so there was an equally stupid and embarrassing "equals love" tagged on at the end.

Hugh + Nate = love

As if Nate hadn't already suffered enough, Hugh attempted reading it aloud until Nate cut him off by screaming.

It took several minutes for him to calm down after that; Nate would not be satisfied until Hugh scrambled the magnets again and proved to him that they were scrambled well enough.

"She's learning to read, by the way."

"I am never watching your sister again, Hugh."

"You're just lucky she thinks it's cute."


	27. Day Four: At the Playground

Samurott was a little too big to fit on the slide with Hugh's sister now, but the little girl was having fun regardless. She just alternated from running to the slide and back to Samurott instead instead of taking it with her.

Right before Hugh had left on his Pokemon journey, she'd happily proclaimed, "I look forward to playing with all your new Pokemon the instant you get back!" and from that moment taking her to the playground once he settled back in was inevitable.

There were a couple of Pokemon Hugh didn't want interacting with his little sister, and inconspicuously avoided mentioning he owned them just in case she would have decided to ask to play with them anyway. Contrary to what she had believed when he left, a lot of the Pokemon he had trained were large, scary looking creatures.

Nate seemed to be much better at catching the cute and cuddly ones like she wanted. He was currently sitting next to Hugh, indiscreetly holding his hand and laughing at the antics of a Mareep he'd caught. It was one Mareep out of nearly a dozen; Nate apparently had some sort of infatuation with them.

"...Do you ever miss those days?" Hugh asked suddenly, spitting out the question before he even realized what he was on his mind.

"That's odd," Nate replied.

"W-well, it's not like she has much to worry about, as long as she's busy playing and has us to watch her," Hugh muttered. "There's not exactly a lot of pressure placed on five year olds. She's happy as long as she gets her turn on the slide eventually."

"I don't know. There's not a lot she can do yet either."

The words were inconspicuous enough, but the way Nate scooted closer on the bench and placed his hand on top of Hugh's told him everything Hugh needed to know, even without saying a word.

**Mareep joke based on fanart!**

**Quiz time! Guess how long Zephyr struggled trying to write a half decent ending for this one? This will test your ability to reason and will also be worth fifty percent of your final grade...**


	28. Day Three: Sleep Talking

"Nate, did you know you mumble in your sleep?" Hugh asked.

Yawning, he sounded a bit tired himself. The first thing Hugh did when he stood up was stretch, trying to work the soreness out of his muscles after a long night of camping.

"Mmm... Sometimes. Why?" Nate replied. His mother had told him that before too, as well as Rosa, and they both said he mostly talked about stupid things. He wasn't particularly concerned and, unlike Hugh, he was still lazing around in his sleeping bag. Nate usually preferred stay that way until either Hugh or Pignite made him get up.

"No reason. You just said some really cute things last night."

Suddenly, Nate cared a lot more than he had before.

"What did I say?" he demanded to know, lurching out of his bag. A stiffness in his side from the rock he'd been sleeping on hindered his attempt, and he sort of fell back to the earth before he could leap at Hugh.

"I'm not telling," Hugh taunted as he easily side-stepped him. "But to answer your question: Yes, I would love to."

Nate growled at him. In return, Hugh laughed at him.

"Don't worry about it too much, Nate. It was your idea, so you can probably figure it out on your own if you try."

**...More insomnia based writing...**

**Happy "we're almost there" day! Or in my case, "Wait, did you seriously count the days wrong?" This was supposed to end on the sixth... Hm...**


	29. Day Two: Feral

"I... It bit me," Nate whimpered.

He was gritting his teeth and trying desperately not to sound like he was in pain, but his voice was strained and the corners of his eyes were still pricked with tears, no matter how tightly he shut them. And all things considered, he was probably a little bit afraid too - not that Hugh could blame them.

"It's okay," Hugh soothed.

Possibly without realizing it, Hugh had taken to doing the same thing he did for his little sister whenever she fell and scraped her knee or some such - he held the other boy close and spoke softly, running a gentle hand through Nate's hair as he attempted to rummage through his bag for medical supplies with the other.

Nate didn't resist. If anything, he held Hugh closer when it felt like he might start sobbing for real, and Hugh felt a mix of panic and relief as soon as other people began taking notice and approaching. As far as medical supplies went, all he had in his pack were Potions - and nothing that could be used on a human.

There was a brief exchange between Hugh and a couple of other people, all asking questions and demanding to know what had happened. Nate helped out when he could, and eventually the story got around that there was a boy who had been bitten by a wild Herdier - a story that was only made believable by a pair of women who testified that they'd seen the Pokemon too, and that it was likely feral, because Lillipup in their evolved forms were almost unheard of on the outskirts of their little town.

A few minutes later and Nate had begun to calm down, thankfully, because Hugh didn't know what he would have done with the boy if it ended up turning into a phobia he remained scared like this for the rest of their Pokemon journey. Or worse - if Nate decided to stop trying for the Pokemon League entirely because of this incident.

"I thought it was someone's pet..." Nate mumbled, nearly an hour later, staring at the bandage his hand had been wrapped into.

The Herdier's bite had done its damage, but the caretakers at the Pokemon center were reasonably trained in healthcare for humans as well as Pokemon. The nurse who had applied anti-biotic and wrapped his hand suggested that the injury wasn't likely to get infected as long as he kept it properly cleaned, and that he might feel better if he didn't do anything much with it for a few days.

"Can't blame you," Hugh replied. He was almost as tired as Nate was - not because he'd been a victim, but because the situation itself had been so over-exciting and frantic. "If it weren't you who had gotten bit, it probably would have been me, because I thought the same thing."

A few minutes of silence passed, until Hugh began feeling so uneasy he scrambled to think of something else to say.

"So, uh... it doesn't still hurt, does it?" he ventured cautiously.

"...Oh." Thankfully, Nate seemed to get it. "You're not going to kiss it better like you do for Valerie, are you?"

"That's exactly what I'm going to do."

_Kiss it better._

**I wrote this one a while ago... I remember not liking it/being embarrassed by it for some reason, so I decided to edit it by not looking at it.**

**In other words: Enjoy your non-edited story that I could have potentially made less embarrassing for myself by editing. I think it was mostly because writing about hurt/comfort things is the most difficult ever for me though...**

**EDIT 14 October: ...I wrote the ending now. Probably explains a few things about my feelings on this.  
**


	30. Day One: Arguing

"What do you want, Rosa?"

Nate was glowering at her, miserable and sulking and obviously not in the mood to talk right now, but he made sure to add an annoyed tone to his voice just in case Rosa chose to ignore his expression. Then maybe she'd take a clue and leave him alone, but-

"Aw, did baby have his first argument with his boyfriend?"

No, of course not.

Rosa was just as cheerful and smiley as ever, and completely unconcerned about his currently being in a state of utter despair.

And just as uncannily psychic as usual.

"How the hell do you do that?" Nate questioned. "Could you maybe, like, at least require two guesses next time before you hit it head on?"

Seeing as how he probably wasn't going to get rid of her, Nate scooted over on the bench to make room for Rosa instead. That way, she could talk to him, lecture or whatever it was he wanted to do, and then she could move on with her life and he could go back to sulking. He was already halfway there again by the time she sat down.

"Okay, but seriously, it was probably over something stupid."

"It was not-"

Nate started to protest, only to be immediately cut off by Rosa, who could be quite pushy. It was as he'd eventually come to learn: Bossiness was just a general part of her nature. But at least she did him the favor of sounding less cheerful about it now.

"Just tell me what it was about! I'm not saying it was stupid because I'm trying to insult either of you, I'm saying it was stupid because that's just how relationships are sometimes. Once you get to know somebody, you end up nit-picking over all these small, really dumb things. It doesn't mean anything bad in particular about either of you, but you're both the kind of people who might blow things out of proportion. Honestly."

Rosa sighed as if that were the most exasperating conversation she'd had in a while. Which it may as well have been. Meanwhile, Nate eyed her curiously.

"You know this from experience, don't you?" he asked finally.

It made sense. What with Rosa's bossy attitude and all, she probably got into lots of arguments with the people she dated.

For once, he actually seemed to have gotten something right, because Rosa immediately went red and yelled back at him, "Look, the fights I get into are none of your business! But if you said something to Hugh, then you should go apologize to him before it gets out of hand, because whatever you're arguing over, it's definitely not worth it!"

Aside from startling and entire flock of Pidove into flight and causing the entire street to stop and stare, that probably came out the best it could have.

**Today is bonus day. Tomorrow I'm uploading the ending drabble I had planned, for a total of *thirty-one* chapters instead. Whether I counted the days wrong or accidentally uploaded twice one day, I'm sticking to the original plan of ending this on the 6th. **

**...Uh, there's no Hugh, but this still counts as GreySkyShipping, right? Haha... They're going to make up, I swear.  
**


	31. Day Zero: Wedding

Hugh adjusts the tie around Nate's neck and smiles. "You look great," he breathes, and he truly is mesmerized, at least for a moment. He never thought suits and formal wear fit Nate much, but he feels as if this image of his boyfriend – husband, soon – in a crisp white suit will be imprinted in his mind for the rest of his life. He doesn't like dressing up much himself, but for today it feels great.

Samurott and Emboar are probably dressed in matching white by now too, because it's not uncommon that when trainers fall in love their Pokemon do the same. They're currently in the other room, where Rosa has volunteered to look after them, and Hugh grins slightly at the idea of how their Pokemon's personalities are slightly reversed – he can't imagine his Samurott enjoying being adorned with lace and dressed in pristine white, but Nate's Emboar has always been the more stoic of the two. Emboar was charged with the task of taking care of Nate on their Pokemon journey after all, whenever Hugh wasn't around to do it himself. And someone had to be the responsible one.

"What I look like," Nate grumbles in response, "is like I can't dress myself. Even better – I feel like an idiot because I can't dress myself."

When Hugh is finished, he steps in front of the mirror to examine the handiwork and frowns, probably because he's as unused to seeing himself in anything other than sports gear or a crumpled t-shirt and a pair of shorts as Hugh is. He starts to reach for the tie around his neck, because it feels like it's been tied too tightly and is closing in on his throat even though he's sure that's how it's supposed to be, but Hugh swats his hands away before he can mess with it.

"Some people just aren't meant to understand ties," Hugh replies dismissively. Nate might be nervous, and as a result feeling negative about this day, but to Hugh it's perfect and he's not going to let anything ruin it.

**It might be unlikely, but I thought, "Why the hell not?" HAPPY END.**

**Now, if anyone needs me, I'm going to go puke... Really, I don't feel well. The last several consistently un-edited and/or late chapters have been brought to you by Zephyr that doesn't feel well.**

**EDIT 14 October: _Every_ chapter is now edited, but the main writing didn't change much overall.  
**


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